Basement Jaxx

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Biography

Basement Jaxx (formed 1994)Basement Jaxx consists of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe. The UK house music act formed in London and rose to fame with their debut album Remedy.

The Early Years: Basement Jaxx formed in the Brixton area of London in 1994, when they hosted a regular club night named Rooty. Their debut album, Remedy, was released in 1999 and received a widely positive critical response.

The single 'Red Alert' was featured in the film Bend It Like Beckham, which starred Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra. The track was also picked up by Coca-Cola and Nickelodeon for use in their advertisements.

Another single, 'Rendez Vu' reached number four in the UK charts. Later on in 1999, they released Jaxx Unreleased, which compiled all of their B-sides and remixes together.

In 2001, Basement Jaxx released Rooty. Their second full-length album was named after the club night where their career started. Their singles, 'Romeo' and 'Where's Your Head At?' were both huge international hits, with the latter track being included on the Tomb Raider soundtrack. They followed on from Jaxx Unreleased with Xxtra Cuts, another collection of b-sides and rarities.

Kish Kash was Basement Jaxx's third album and was released in 2003. The duo brought in a number of vocalists, including Lisa Kekaula of the BellRays, Dizzee Rascal, JC Chasez and Siouxsie Sioux. The single 'Good Luck' was used as the BBC's theme for their Euro 2004 TV coverage. It was also included on two soundtracks: Just Married and Appleseed.

The Singles, a hits compilation, was released in 2005 and went to number one on the UK album charts. When Kylie Minogue was forced to pull out of her headline slot at Glastonbury 2005, Basement Jaxx were chosen as her replacement.

The Band's fourth studio album was entitled Crazy Itch Radio and was released in 2006. Again, they drafted in a number of vocalists, including Martina Bang, Milly Blue, Lily Allen, Method Man and Robyn.

Basement Jaxx have also undertaken a large amount of remixes and have worked with the likes of Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliot, Justin Timberlake and N*E*R*D.

In early 2009, the band announced their intentions to release a new album called Scars in 2009, featuring contributions from Yoko Ono, Santogold, Lightspeed Champion and Yo! Majesty.

Hertfordshire's most eventful music festival Standon Calling is set to return for its 10th anniversary, and a host of new line-up additions are announced as the event draws nearer; including UK festival favourites The Horrors. Though that's not all you can look forward to.

Joining the likes of already announced headliners Little Dragon, The Dandy Warhols and Basement Jaxx are indie five-piece The Horrors, whose last album 'Luminous' (released in 2014) reached number 6 in the UK albums chart, as well as Dingwalls DJs Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge, electro duo Bondax and Scottish synthpop trio Prides.

It's been five long years since Basement Jaxx released their last album, 'Zephyr'. A lot has happened in the dance music scene in such a relatively short space of time, so the big question is, with their latest record 'Junto', can they remain relevant pitted against the competition?

Opening with the inventively named 'Intro', a cacophony of African-sounding tribal beats and chants draws you in and makes you feel like you're about to be initiated into something pretty special. Straight from one continent to another, the following track 'Power To The People' leaps into one big samba party. Had the album been released a couple of months earlier encompassing lyrics such as "let's come together and do something amazing", it would have provided a great soundtrack to the World Cup. With Brazilian beats, a hint of steel drums and trumpets galore, this song is sure to keep the summer going even once the weather argues otherwise. Second single 'Unicorn' features a catchy electronic foundation which skips its way through the track behind the conventional female vocals, while another commercially-appealing track on the album sits in the form of 'Never Say Never', which you can easily imagine being played in clubs as well as doing well in the charts. In this it seems the Jaxx duo can't quite escape dance hits of the past, as the tune the chorus lyrics accompany could quite easily be confused with Lovestation's classic version of 'Teardrops'.

As the album progresses, the party continues, but with slightly less panache than its opening few tracks; though, granted, this is a trait that even some of the best bands can find their albums succumbing to. 'Rock This Road' transports us swiftly back to the Brazilian beaches, though this is more like the sort of beach rave you might leave in search of something better after a couple of drinks. Luckily, while the final tracks 'Something About You' and 'Love Is At Your Side' slow the pace down a notch, it's not in a disappointing way - instead they resemble calmer friends who are there to chill out with you at the end of a crazier night.

This year's Ultra Music Festival looks set to be the best ever...and here's why.

Ultra Music Festival 2014 will once again be bringing together the biggest names in EDM in Miami. Alongside big-name DJ's there's also a fantastically diverse range of live acts that are ready to set the party city alight this March. Whether you're a dance music fanatic or favour house or drum and bass, there's something for everyone at this three day spectacular. Phase one and Phase two of the line up have already been announced and our jaws dropped in excitement at some of the big name acts, however, if you're still not convinced here are some reason’s why this year’s Ultra Music Festival looks set to be its biggest and best yet.

When I first received this collaboration I thought I must have the wrong CD as the first half of the album sounded nothing like what I'd heard from Basement Jaxx before. Not knowing about the Metropole Orkest I soon discovered that this well known Dutch orchestra was famous for work in films, radio and at hand for projects too. It became clear that the opportunity to work with a huge and talented orchestra must have been too tempting for dance pioneer producers Basement Jaxx and then we have a battle on our hands.